The present invention generally relates to an apparatus for closing boxes and, more particularly, to an apparatus for closing the flaps of asymmetrical boxes that are fed in either of two orientations.
It is often desirable to automate manufacturing processes that require significant amounts of labor or are highly repetitive. However, some processes are more difficult to automate due to the configuration of the products being processed. In particular, products that are not uniform or are asymmetrical present unique problems during the automation process. Further, components that appear to be symmetrical but in fact are asymmetrical present even more difficulties.
One example of a product that appears to be symmetrical but in fact is asymmetrical is cigarette carton. Each carton typically has a rectangular or cuboid shape with two long sides connected by two ends with a top surface integrally formed with and connected to the two side surfaces. The bottom of the carton is formed by a first relatively wide or large flap that extends along the entire length of one of the sides and with a width equal to that of the top surface of the carton and a second narrow or small flap that extends along the entire length of the other side and which has a width equal to that of only one third to one half of the width of the carton.
Revenue or tax stamps must be applied to individual packs of cigarettes and, because the taxes and stamps vary by state, county and even by city, these stamps are not applied to the packs until they reach their final destination. However, for ease of handling, cigarette packs are packaged in the cartons in which they will ultimately be sold or displayed and then the cartons are packaged in relatively large boxes that are shipped to the desired location. Once the boxes of cigarettes reach the destination at which the revenue stamps will be applied, the boxes are opened and the cartons removed from the boxes. The cartons are then opened, tax stamps applied and the cartons re-sealed. As a result, care must be taken to not tear or damage the cartons when opening them during the process of applying the revenue stamps so that they may be re-sealed and subsequently re-shipped.
During the packaging process at the cigarette factory, after the cigarette packs are loaded into a carton, a small amount of adhesive or glue (typically two drops) is applied to the narrow flap and then the wide flap is rotated or pivoted onto the narrow flap in order to temporarily seal the carton to facilitate shipping to the location at which the revenue stamps are applied. The temporarily sealed cartons are then loaded into boxes for shipping.
Once the boxes of cigarettes reach the destination at which the revenue stamps will be applied, the boxes are opened and the cartons removed from the boxes. One current automated revenue stamping machine utilizes an asymmetrical opener or plow which requires that the cigarette cartons be loaded therein with the temporarily sealed bottom surface facing upward and with the wide and narrow flaps that form the bottom surface oriented in a specific direction (i.e., with the wide flap to the left). An asymmetrical structure is then used to close the flaps after the revenue stamps have been applied. Since the cartons are rectangular or cuboid shaped, there are four possible orientations that will initially appear to be identical without close inspection. More specifically: 1) top up, wide flap left; 2) top up, wide flap right; 3) bottom up, wide flap left; and 4) bottom up, wide flap right. With the current automation equipment, if the cigarette cartons are not loaded into the equipment in the one correct orientation, the automation equipment cannot open and subsequently close the cartons.